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Sunday, July 08, 2012

Welcome, Rachelle. God has really been
moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

I have so many exciting writing projects in progress! After Prince
Incognito, I have one more
book in the Reclaiming the Crown series. The
Missing Monarch hits shelves in September. Then, this December, my first
historical debuts. A Royal Marriage
is set in the same fictional kingdom
of Lydia, but it takes
place in the year 801, and tells the story of the Lydian King John and the
daughter of Charlemagne, Gisela. It’s also the first book in my Protecting the
Crown series, which features a mix of suspense and historical titles. The first
suspense book in the series, Defending
the Duchess, comes out in March of next year.

Tell us a little
about your family.

My husband and kids keep me very busy! I have four kids,
ranging in age from three to nine years old, two boys and two girls. Each of
the books in the Reclaiming the Crown series is dedicated to one of them. My
seven-year-old has even started reading the book dedicated to her (my
nine-year-old has to wait—his book isn’t out yet!)

Since I’ve always been an avid reader, that aspect has never
changed. But I find myself reading a lot of books for research, especially now
that I’m starting to write historicals.

I totally understand
that, since I write historicals. I’ve built quite a library of reference
volumes. I like to be able to page through them when I’m writing. What are you
working on right now?

I’m in the middle of the final edits of A Royal Marriage. I just finished the revised manuscript for Defending the Duchess, and I’ve finished
the first chapter of the next suspense book in that series, which doesn’t have
a firm title yet.

What outside
interests do you have?

I love to travel, especially now that the kids are getting
old enough to handle road trips. We’re taking off for Mount Rushmore in a
couple of weeks (six McCallas in one van—pray for us!). We also like to go
camping and hiking.

How do you choose
your settings for each book?

Right now I have it pretty easy, because my books are
centered around one place, the fictional kingdom of Lydia.
Previous books have been set in places familiar to me. My first two Survival Instinct and Troubled Waters, are set among the ApostleIslands
on Lake Superior. We lived in the tiny
lakeside town of Bayfield
for almost two years. And my Holyoake Heroes series is set in southwest Iowa, around the small
towns where my husband grew up.

If you could spend an
evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

I’d love to hang out with Winston Churchill, because he has
such a great sense of humor and also because he lived through so many
tumultuous events.

What is the one thing
you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

Hmm, that’s a great question. It would have been nice to
know that I was going to get published, so I could stop obsessing about how to
do that.

What new lessons is
the Lord teaching you right now?

This summer I’ve been learning how to be a mom to kids who
are suddenly a year older than they were last year! I know a year might not
seem like much, but we’re on new ground with a lot of new experiences. The
oldest two set off their own firecrackers for the first time the other day. The
girls went off the high dive at the pool for the first time this week. My
oldest went away for six days at summer camp. They’re reading chapter books and
middle grade books and playing board games with each other (sometimes without
even fighting!). It’s been a great new adventure.

What are the three
best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Read and pray and write all the time—and go on Lena Nelson
Dooley’s blog if you can—she’s the best!

Thank you, Rachelle. Tell
us about the featured book.

Prince Incognito is the third of the four books in the Reclaiming
the Crown series. It follows the adventures of Alexander, the soldier prince
and presumed heir of the Lydian throne. Alec is injured in the ambush on the
royal motorcade, and he’s lost all memory of who he is and who is after him. He
needs to keep his country and his crown safe, but first he needs to figure out
who he is. Fortunately he finds a friend, Lillian Bardici, who tends his
injuries and helps him. When he saves her life in return, they realize they
need each other’s help if they’re going to survive.

Please give us the
first page of the book.

His Royal Highness Prince Alexander of Lydia stood at
attention in the palace courtyard, his back extra straight, his arms
practically immobilized by the stiff sleeves of his dress uniform. The classic-cut
olive-green suit was reserved for formal occasions, and Alec hadn't realized
until he'd squeezed into it for this evening's state dinner just how long it
had been since he'd last worn it.

About fifteen pounds of muscle ago, judging by how tight the shirt felt
around his neck. He couldn't take a deep breath, and he felt a tingling
sensation in his fingers every time he tried to bend his arms at the elbow. The
warm weather of the June evening didn't help, though Alec was at least
accustomed to heat.

His last deployment, a humanitarian mission in the deserts of North Africa, had required daily physical labor. Alec
hadn't appreciated how much the work had transformed him until he'd returned
home to Sardis, Lydia's capital city, the day
before and found that none of his old clothes fit the same.

The limousines began to line up for the motorcade, and Alec watched his
parents descend the palace steps with the rustle of sashes and silk. His
father, His Majesty King Philip, waved Alec away from the head car.
"You'll be sixth in line." He pointed him farther down the queue.

"Why sixth? Who's in between us?" Though Alec didn't want to sound
presumptuous, he was, after all, heir apparent to the throne of Lydia. While
that didn't mean he had to ride in the front car, he certainly found it odd
that he'd be placed so far down the line.

"State officials. Regional dignitaries. Guards."

"Guards?"

"Yes. Guards on motorcycles, guards in every car." King Philip
motioned to a group of gun-bearing men. "You'll have one riding with
you."

"A bodyguard?" Alec looked down at the young man who'd stepped
forward. The kid wasn't small, but Alec was considerably larger, and he
guessed, more experienced. "Father, I'm a soldier. I can take care of
myself."

The king was halfway to his car, but as he looked back, he seemed to notice
for the first time that his son had grown, and he deflated a little.
"Fine. You can ride alone. But stay close. Stay safe." The king
appeared as though he wanted to say more, but the cars and guards were waiting,
and he ducked inside the limo after the queen.

Alec watched the door close after his parents, and their car rolled forward.

What was that all about? Stay close? Stay safe? Alec blinked at the
abundance of men who filled the waiting vehicles and perched on their
motorcycles, ready to go. Behind him, he spotted his sister Isabelle giving her
bodyguard the cold shoulder as he held open the door to her waiting limousine.
She'd told Alec that her request to have the guard removed had been turned down
by their father.

Something strange was going on. When he'd first arrived home, Alec had
assumed everything felt foreign simply because he wasn't used to it anymore.
He'd acclimated to desert life, and no longer felt like he fit in with Lydia's
aristocratic circles. In fact, until the announcement at tonight's dinner, when
his father had promised he'd learn what his next assignment was, Alec didn't
figure he'd feel as though he fit in anywhere.
But all the extra security, as well as his father's odd behavior, left Alec
questioning what was going on. Sure, he was used to men with guns—but there
weren't usually so many of them swarming the palace, were there? And whereas
these events of state tended to be stressful for his father, today the king
seemed downright jumpy.

Alec slid into his car, but he couldn't relax, in spite of the sumptuous
leather seat of the limousine he was riding in. Too much about the situation
bothered him.

Besides that, in a seated position, he could hardly take a breath.

His car crept forward, and Alec strained to see through the darkly tinted
windows to the vehicles ahead of him. He hadn't seen any officials or
dignitaries in the courtyard—no one had entered the vehicles ahead of him
except for a few guards.

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16 comments:

Hi, Lena and Rachelle...this novel sounds great. Thanks for featuring Rachelle and the chance to win this great giveaway. i don't think i've read anything by Rachelle, but i will be looking for her name. i really want to find her hero novels, too.Marianne from northern Albertamitzi underscore wanham at yahoo dot com